Suppose the cities and counties had kept their powder dry and hadn’t argued that 1) the Legislature had no right to dismantle redevelopment agencies and 2) the state had no right to extort payment if local governments wanted to keep their agencies afloat. At least the agencies would have retained the option to pay to play.

But the court has ruled that the Legislature had the right to kill redevelopment agencies and the lifeline — ransom payments to the state — has been cut. Nice bit of lawyering there, redevelopment attorneys.

The hand-wringing has begun: “Disaster!” “Ultimate weapon to destroy municipalities! “Worst possible outcome!” This from two local mayors and an economist. Settle down, boys.

It’s hard to tell how nuclear this decision really is in the short run because so many redevelopment agencies shrewdly and greedily socked away millions for projects when the legislative guillotine came down a few months ago.

But it’s certainly a thunk to the head to the most single-minded redevelopment champs. Riverside’s MayorLuv wrote this in July:

“Officials, elected and appointed as well as those from the private sector, praise the work of redevelopment and emphasize how essential it is to the character, fabric and future of our cities and their neighborhoods.”

But it has scarred and scraped communities. It has put people out of business by ripping down buildings and not replacing them, or evicting businesses — the “private sector” — and filling the void with nothing.

Redevelopment is a mixed bag, not a money bag. But that’s not how its champions see it. They see an entitlement program and they’re hooked on it. Tax increment is their heroin. No wonder they went to court.

Could a library, park, community center — anything — be built without redevelopment money? Listening to the howlers, you wouldn’t think so. Would sketchy “private sector” projects be undertaken without redevelopment funds? You’d hope not.

This court ruling is more of a wake-up call than a death knell. You don’t hear the new Gov. Brown talking about an “era of limits” these days, but that’s what we’re in and the redevelopment honks have to get it through their heads. It’s not all about them anymore. Other “people” out there need other people’s money, too!

So if it comes down to a choice between shoving more money into education, public safety or even to help the state’s most needy elderly and disabled, I don’t mind pushing the pause button on the redevelopmentocracy.

A Legislature that can kill redevelopment can always bring it back to life — with new rules, less money and more accountability — when California’s in a better position to afford it.